Area pubs having fun with popular trivia nights

Each week, Susan Fetscher searches the Internet for challenging, interesting and clever questions to ask during the Tin Man Brewing Co. trivia night.

Pop culture questions such as "What does J.A.R.V.I.S. from Iron Man stand for?" Sports questions requiring people to match up starting quarterbacks with their respective teams. And how many lines are in a sonnet?

Pub trivia nights have popped up all over Evansville in the past year at places such as Tin Man, Turoni's, Old Chicago and Ri Ra Irish Pub — drawing participants from a variety of backgrounds.

"We have a really neat group at Tin Man," Fetscher said. "We have college students, university professors, teachers and people who are older and younger. I've been surprised at who knows what. I have so many pop culture questions, and teams you wouldn't think would know something, do."

Since January, every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on the top floor of the Tin Man brewery, regulars and newcomers gather in teams of two to eight people.

Fetscher asks about 20 questions, and participants write down their answers on a supplied piece of paper. First- and second-place teams usually receive a gift card to the brewery.

But the possibility of winning free beer and food isn't what keeps people coming back every week, Fetscher said.

"I think that it attracts people because it's just something different," she said. "It lets people get engaged in activity and socialize at the same time. It's different than going to the movies or playing on a sports team, but you get to sit around and talk. It's just a lot of fun."

She said the rising popularity of pub trivia shows that Evansville residents are looking for something different to do with their time.

"Evansville needs more of these opportunities," she said. "I think it's great that there are several all over the city."

It's common for University of Southern Indiana and University of Evansville professors to form teams and show off their degrees at pub nights.

Matthew Hanka, an assistant professor of political science at USI, formed a team called the Power Gnomes to compete at Ri Ra's Pub Trivia with his wife, Ann, and a few other area professors.

For Hanka, pub trivia helped him connect more with his colleagues.

"For me, it's about building friendships and community, and I get to know the people I work with better," he said.

Having a broad range of disciplines, the professors have a slight advantage.

For Hanka, it's politics.

"I keep up with current events and stay aware of different types of things," he said. "I consider myself very broad in knowledge base, and I think the rest of our team knows a lot of different things, too."

Evan Fossmeyer, 28, and his team of young professionals, currently hold the title for the most wins at Tin Man's trivia night.

Fossmeyer, who works in coffee sales, participated with his friends for six months and took a break for the summer.

"Our hiatus is about over," he said. "We're going to be back and ready to win again."

"All of us are kind of "Jeopardy" nerds, and it's better than sitting around drinking a beer. We might as well gain some knowledge out of it," he said.

The atmosphere kept them going back for more.

"You get out and meet like-minded people, get comfortable in a group, start joking around and poking fun at other teams," Fossmeyer said. "It takes us back to the college atmosphere."

While many area bars and businesses have started doing pub trivia, Ri Ras has offered it ever since it opened seven years ago, said General Manager Ryan Bodine.

"Pub trivias are very popular in Ireland, so we want to stick with that because we're an Irish pub," he said. "We're not using it to bring people in, we're just doing it because it's what we do. It's a part of who we are, and it's what we've always done."

Ri Ras tries to bring a little personality to trivia night, making it more of a comedy show by hiring local radio personality Gavin Eddings as a host.

"It's camaraderie and community," Bodine said. "It's just a fun event. A lot of places are looking to add variety to their week, and look at how many places do karaoke in town. It's old, played out and boring."

He said he thinks trivia appeals to a broad range of ages.

"I think it just appeals to more of a personality than an age group," he said. "A good chunk are college students, liberal arts people, history majors, people that are well-read, people who get a kick out of ‘Jeopardy.'"

Eddings said he gets to have fun while doing what he loves — making people laugh.

"I've been told my style is very humorous," he said. "I try to make things light and fun. I'm not just a guy reading questions off a piece of paper."

He said it appeals to people who are tired of going out to bars and just hanging out.